40th Birthday Invitation

An upcoming 40th birthday means that a party is in order! If you're taking on the role of party planner for a friend or significant other's 40th birthday bash, check out these tips and advice for sending out the perfect 40th birthday invites:

• Party Theme: When sending out 40th birthday invitations, think about the type of party that you are hosting. Is it formal or informal? Modern or traditional? Choose invitations that match the theme and overall feel of the party. If you don’t have a theme for the party yet, some great ideas are Wild West, Caribbean, 1920s, or a murder mystery party. Whatever you choose for the theme, it will be a great party that everyone will enjoy! Note: You can always send a 40-themed invitation like the digital invitations below available on Punchbowl.

• Party Location: Another aspect of the party that you can incorporate into the 40th party invitations is the location. Is the party on a boat? Send anchor themed invitations. Is the party in a garden? Send flower shaped invitations. That being said, you should make sure to add your party location to the invitations and include directions and/or parking information when necessary.

• Wording: The wording for 40th birthday invitations completely depends on the guest of honor. If they have a good sense of humor and don’t mind being poked fun at, then bring on the "over the hill" jokes! Some popular 40th birthday invitation wordings are “Lordy, Lordy, look who’s forty!” and “Come celebrate a 40 year old antique!” If you are looking for more contemporary or polite wording, try “Forty and still fabulous” or “Join us for a celebration in [Name]’s honor.” Choose the wording so that the guest of honor feels comfortable and won’t be upset when they see it.

• Timing: If you are throwing a large party, send out save the dates 2-3 months in advance. Once it gets closer to your party (4-6 weeks in advance), send out the invitations to let the guests know all of the final details of the party. Also, be sure to say on the invitations if you would like guests to bring a gift and if you want them to RSVP for the party. If the party is a surprise, take extra precautions to make sure the guest of honor doesn't find out about the event (ie Make it extremely clear on the invitation that the party is a surprise).

• Personalization: A great way to personalize the invitations is to add a picture of the guest of honor! Find a photo of them receiving an award or in a moment of great accomplishment. Or, you could also try to find a funny photograph of them in their college years or as a young child. Whatever you decide to do, these 40th birthday invites will be a great addition to a scrapbook after the party!